Fluency

According to the American Speech-Language Hearing Association, fluency refers to the continuity, smoothness, rate, and effort in speech production. Stuttering is the most common fluency disorder, causing disruptions to the flow of speech that may sound like repetitions of sounds, syllables, or words; prolonged sounds; or silent blocks where sound is interrupted. 

These disfluencies may be accompanied by physical tension, secondary mannerisms used to escape the disfluency, avoidance behaviors, and negative reactions to speaking. Children and adults who stutter may experience anxiety, stress, a sense of loss of control, and a negative sense of self-worth as a result of stuttering. 

Successful stuttering therapy often includes both emphasis on acceptance and self-confidence and training in strategies to modify one’s speech to reduce disfluencies. Our clinicians will consider each individual’s age, stuttering profile, personal goals, and communication needs when creating a treatment program.